Organizer Information
City of Newcastle (CN) is the local government authority responsible for the City of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. Through Newcastle Art Gallery, the City manages and presents a nationally significant art collection of more than 7,000 works. The Gallery is currently entering a period of growth and renewal, creating opportunities to contribute to its future artistic and collection programs. The organisation promotes inclusion, cultural diversity, professional development, flexible work arrangements and employee wellbeing.
Title & Description
Curatorial Officer (Collection) – Newcastle Art Gallery
The Curatorial Officer (Collection) is a permanent full-time position within Newcastle Art Gallery’s Curatorial and Exhibitions Team. The successful candidate will support the care, documentation, research, presentation and interpretation of the Gallery’s collection.
The role combines collection administration with curatorial research and interpretation. The officer will contribute to collection displays, written and digital interpretation, provenance research, cataloguing and collection management. The position is suited to an organised and detail-oriented professional with demonstrated research and art-writing skills and an interest in First Nations, Australian and global art.
The Role Overview
- Position: Curatorial Officer (Collection)
- Job Number: CN4961
- Employer: City of Newcastle
- Department: Newcastle Art Gallery
- Employment Type: Permanent, full-time
- Working Hours: 35 hours per week
- Reporting to: Curatorial Lead
- Remuneration: AUD $88,889.29 per annum + 17.5% annual leave loading + 12% superannuation
- Contact: Peter Johnson, Curatorial Lead
Position & Tasks
The Curatorial Officer will support collection administration and the Gallery’s artistic program, including:
- Caring for, documenting and presenting the Gallery’s collection.
- Maintaining collection management and digital asset management systems.
- Applying best-practice cataloguing and collection management procedures.
- Conducting detailed object and provenance research.
- Researching and interpreting artworks for different audiences and contexts.
- Developing interpretive material for written, public and digital use.
- Supporting long-term collection displays.
- Liaising professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
- Working collaboratively with Curatorial, Exhibitions, Operations and Audience teams.
Categories
- Art Curation
- Visual Art
- Museum & Gallery Practice
- Art History
- Collections Management
- Research
- Exhibition Development
Eligibility
This is an Australia-based professional employment opportunity. Applicants must have the right to live and work in Australia.
The employer encourages applications from people with diverse lived experiences, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, people with diverse gender identities and sexualities, people from different cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds, people with disability, carers and veterans.
The role requires strong administrative and organisational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to research and write about art. An interest in First Nations, Australian and global art is relevant to the position.
Program Benefits
- Salary of AUD $88,889.29 plus 17.5% annual leave loading and 12% superannuation.
- 35-hour working week.
- Flexible work arrangements.
- Four weeks of annual leave.
- Three weeks of personal leave.
- Two additional paid public holidays.
- Paid parental leave for primary carers.
- Ongoing training and professional development.
- Annual performance development plans.
- Access to employee wellbeing programs.
- Corporate fitness and other employee benefit programs.
- Participation in inclusion, diversity and equity initiatives.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 September 2026
- Employment: Permanent, full-time
- Working Schedule: 35 hours per week
Location
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Additional Details
The role is part of the Gallery's broader growth and renewal phase and offers an opportunity to work with a collection of more than 7,000 artworks. Applicants requiring adjustments to the recruitment process or wishing to discuss accessibility requirements can contact the recruitment team confidentially at recruit@ncc.nsw.gov.au.
The City of Newcastle does not accept unsolicited resumes and asks recruitment agencies not to contact the organisation regarding this position at this stage.